083. Love OR Five Ways Schu and Ran Never Said I Love You
Idea: stolen with much admiration from the SV fandom stories by a host of people who answered the challenge “Five Ways [Character] Never [Action-usually “Said ‘I Love You’”]
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1. They have never said I love you on a train traveling cross-country through Europe. It was not an anniversary present, of sorts, and Schuldig did not whisper it sleepily in his mind as he was drifting off, curled up in Ran’s arms as Ran stared at their mingled, cast-off clothing on the floor.
2. They have never gone to a fantasy sex resort, and so Schuldig decides this will be the perfect place to help Aya unwind. Aya says No initially, but he can’t keep saying no once he wakes up tied to a bed that isn’t his. After that little tiff, he enjoys himself immensely. Schuldig isn’t often a willing bottom, and that offer in itself seems less a matter of trust and than a declaration of something even more precious.
3. Aya stands at the pier, hands on the wood railing, looking into the rippling waters and trying to be calm. Then Schuldig’s reflection appears behind his in the water. He whips around. They stare at each other, a standoff with eyes for pistols, and then Aya pushes forward and Schuldig catches him in his arms and they embraces like old lovers and kiss like newlyweds. “I love you,” Aya whispers against Schuldig’s lips. Schuldig’s resultant smile tastes as sweet as it looks.
4. Schuldig takes the bet to make Aya fall in love with him because Farfarello doesn’t think he’s that sadistic and masochistic. Schuldig doesn’t tell Farfarello there’s no masochism about slowly bending the kitten’s mind to notice him, to want to see him, and then going in for the kill. But when Aya finally says “I love you” two months later in his angry way, it isn’t triumph that Schuldig feels, but a quiver in his spine. He takes Aya roughly and then goes back to HQ, leaving Aya bleeding, limping after him to the window but afraid to call out. And at HQ, he punches Farfarello even though he knows it does no good, and storms off when the madman laughs at him even though Schuldig’s not the one who just lost a million yen.
5. Ran’s school uniform is immaculate as usual, but his book back strap is wrinkled where his hand has clenched it too tightly. Schuldig’s tie is looser than standard regulation, and his sleeves are pushed up to show lightly freckled arms. Schuldig is playing it cool, and so is Ran, but Ran is blushing and Schuldig feels empowered enough to thrust the note he takes from his pocket to Ran’s. “Here,” he says. “I heard this is how you do things here.”
Ran’s mouth falls open, and then he smiles. He withdraws a note from his pocket and switches it with the one in the new gaijin student’s hand. “Aah,” he says, pocketing Schuldig's note, “This is how we do things.”